Information Overload: The Challenge of Working with Data

There’s no shortage of climate change information being generated, so why haven’t we solved the problem yet? 

Well, part of the reason is that it’s not always easy to work with or access that information. Here’s why:  

- Research centers, innovators and organisations don’t always work together to generate and share information. Sometimes, they aren’t even aware of each other’s existence. This can lead to duplicated work, contradictory findings and fragmented knowledge. 

- A lot of data and information is siloed in unconnected databases and files.

- Complex concepts make climate communication difficult and lead to misunderstandings. Information doesn’t always reach the end user in an accessible format. Often, because data creators lack the skills to translate it into ‘street level’ insights.

- Even when information is available, the volume is huge – articles, websites, infographics, presentations, policy briefs, etc. etc. etc. Staying up to date and absorbing it all is a challenge.

- Fake news, disinformation and misinformation muddy the waters and act as a barrier to change and effective decision-making. Also, we’re learning about climate change all the time, so even genuine information becomes outdated fast and can lead to confusion.  

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